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Becky Albertalli

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Becky Albertalli
BornRebecca Goldstein
(1982-11-17) November 17, 1982 (age 42)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • former psychologist
Education
Period2015–present
Genre
Notable works
Notable awards
SpouseBrian Albertalli
Children2
Website
beckyalbertalli.com

Rebecca Albertalli (née Goldstein; born November 17, 1982)[1][2] is an American author of young adult fiction and former psychologist. She is known for her 2015 debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which was adapted into the 2018 film Love, Simon and inspired the spin-off television series Love, Victor. Albertalli has subsequently published seven additional novel-length works of young adult fiction, along with 2020's novella Love, Creekwood, from which Albertalli has donated all proceeds to The Trevor Project.[3]

Life and career

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Albertalli was born and raised in the Atlanta metropolitan area, with her sister Caroline and brother Sam, where she still lives with her husband, Brian, and two sons, Owen and Henry.[4] Albertalli was raised in a Reform Jewish household.[5] Albertalli attended Wesleyan University and majored in psychology, before moving to Washington, D.C., and earning her Doctor of Psychology degree from George Washington University.[1][6] In her psychological practice, she specialized in working with LGBTQ teens and gender nonconforming children. She worked as a psychologist until 2012—when her first son was born—and subsequently decided to try writing a novel.[7] Albertalli cites Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty as her primary inspiration in becoming a novelist.[8]

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holding Albertalli's debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, in the United States House of Representatives

On April 7, 2015,[9] Albertalli's debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, was published.[10] A sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, titled Leah on the Offbeat, was released in 2018 and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction.[11] In 2020, Albertalli released the third and final installment of the series, Love, Creekwood, described as an "epilogue."[12]

Additional works include The Upside of Unrequited, Love, Creekwood, and the What If It's Us duology, the latter of which she co-wrote with Adam Silvera. Movie rights to What If It's Us sold to Anonymous Content in 2018, with Brian Yorkey attached as screenwriter.[13] The film rights to The Upside of Unrequited were obtained by Shakespeare Sisters, a U.K. production company, in 2021.[14] That year, Albertalli released her next novel, Kate in Waiting.[15] In 2023, Albertalli published Imogen, Obviously, which became another New York Times best seller[16] and received acclaim from Kirkus Reviews,[17] Publishers Weekly,[18] Booklist,[19] and more. In 2024, Imogen, Obviously was named a Stonewall Honor Book.[20]

Personal life

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In August 2020, Albertalli came out as bisexual in an essay responding to public figures who had criticized her for writing about gay characters as a presumed heterosexual. She stated that coming out was not an "attempt to neutralize criticism of [her] books" and asked her critics to acknowledge that "carelessness in these discussions has caused real harm".[21][22]

Bibliography

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Simonverse

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Main article: Simonverse

What If It's Us

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Standalone works

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  • Yes No Maybe So, co-written with Aisha Saeed (Balzer + Bray, 2019)[25]
  • Kate in Waiting (Balzer + Bray, 2021)[26]
  • Imogen, Obviously (Balzer + Bray, 2023)[27]

Short essays

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  • in Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love, edited by Heather Demetrios (Henry Holt, 2018)

Filmography

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Year Title Director Screenwriters Based on Ref.
2018 Love, Simon Greg Berlanti Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda [28]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Brian Albertalli, Becky Goldstein to wed in June". The Chronicle Express. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  2. ^ "Becky Albertalli: The Author Behind Love, Simon". Paper Clips Magazine. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  3. ^ "'Love, Simon' Goes to College in Newly Revealed Sequel". pride.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Corbett, Sue (March 5, 2015). "First Look: 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  5. ^ David, Karen (March 29, 2018). "'People assume I'm not Jewish. It hurts'". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  6. ^ "About – Becky Albertalli". Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  7. ^ "FAQ – Becky Albertalli". Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  8. ^ Albertalli, Becky (May 5, 2015). "My inspiration: Becky Albertalli on Jaclyn Moriarty". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  9. ^ "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - HarperCollins Publishers". Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  10. ^ "Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – review". The Guardian. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  11. ^ "Best Books 2018". Goodreads. December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  12. ^ "'Love, Creekwood' is the Simonverse Epilogue We've Been Waiting For". Epic Reads. April 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Lang, Brent (September 28, 2018). "'13 Reasons Why' Creator, Anonymous Content Team on 'What If It's Us' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Barraclough, Leo (April 13, 2021). "'Love, Simon' Writer Becky Albertalli's 'The Upside of Unrequited' to Be Adapted for Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "Kate In Waiting | Becky Albertalli". Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  16. ^ "Imogen, Obviously | Becky Albertalli". Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  17. ^ IMOGEN, OBVIOUSLY | Kirkus Reviews.
  18. ^ "Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli". Publishers Weekly. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Dominguez, Aurora (April 15, 2023). "Imogen, Obviously, by Becky Albertalli". Booklist. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "'Cross My Heart and Never Lie' and 'Only This Beautiful Moment' win 2024 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Awards" (Press release). ALA. January 22, 2024. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  21. ^ Nguyen, Giselle Au-Nhien (September 17, 2020). "Becky Albertalli coming out as bisexual can help others do the same". SBS. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  22. ^ Albertalli, Becky (August 31, 2020). "I know I'm late". Medium. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  23. ^ What If It's Us, archived from the original on June 28, 2022, retrieved January 24, 2020
  24. ^ @AdamSilvera (November 19, 2020). "a tiny bit more on HERE'S TO US 🧡" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Yes No Maybe So". Goodreads. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  26. ^ "Kate in Waiting". Goodreads. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  27. ^ "Imogen, Obviously". Goodreads. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  28. ^ Love, Simon, archived from the original on April 3, 2019, retrieved April 4, 2019
  29. ^ Hetter, Katia (January 11, 2016). "2016 Newbery, Caldecott awards honor best children's books". CNN. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  30. ^ Baker, Jennifer (January 11, 2016). "Top Youth Lit". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  31. ^ "'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda' wins 2016 William C. Morris Award | ALA". www.ala.org. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  32. ^ "Becky Albertalli". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  33. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Debut Goodreads Author!". Goodreads. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  34. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Young Adult Fiction!". Goodreads. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  35. ^ Feldman, Lucy. "Best Books of 2015: Best of the Best-of Lists". WSJ. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  36. ^ "The Yoto Carnegies". Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  37. ^ Parrott, Kiera. "2016 Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced". Library Journal. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  38. ^ "2016 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  39. ^ "Buch: Nur drei Worte | Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur e.V." jugendliteratur.org. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  40. ^ "New York Public Library Announces Its Best Books of 2017 for Kids and Teens". The New York Public Library. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  41. ^ "2018 Rainbow List". Rainbow Book List. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  42. ^ "Announcing the Winners of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards!". Goodreads. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  43. ^ "The 2019 Rainbow Book List". Rainbow Book List. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  44. ^ "The New York Public Library Announces Best Books of 2020 for Kids, Teens, Adults". The New York Public Library. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  45. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Young Adult Fiction!". Goodreads. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  46. ^ "2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  47. ^ "BPL Teen Services Picks: Best YA Books of 2021". Boston Public Library. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  48. ^ "2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  49. ^ Walker, Ashley Leffel, Amanda Mastrull, Emmy Neal, Allie Stevens, Emily. "Best Young Adult Books 2023 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Young Adult Fiction!". Goodreads. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  51. ^ "Best Teen Fiction of 2023". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  52. ^ Rainbow List: 2024, by | Booklist Online. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  53. ^ "Summer 2024 Picks for Teens | The New York Public Library". www.nypl.org. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
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Becky Albertalli
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